Prime Minister Scott Morrison has issued a direct plea to teachers to return to the classroom and join the “great heroes” of Australia.
Warning parents the education of the nation’s children was “hanging in the balance”, he urged principals and teachers’ unions to hold talks on how classrooms could be made safe.
“But there’s another group I want to talk about today, and that is our teachers. I want teachers to know from me, both as a parent and as a prime minister, just how appreciated you are and how important the job is that you’re doing right now and how much you are needed.” But a patchwork of arrangements has emerged with some states returning to school faster than other jurisdictions.
In South Australia, where the school attendance rate is much higher than in New South Wales and Victoria, students will be given the option to return to normal classes if they wish.“It’s so important that children are able to keep physically going to school, particularly for these kids,’’ he said. While the Prime Minister conceded the risk to children was low because they appeared much less likely to contract the virus, he accepted teachers had legitimate concerns about workplace safety.
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